Electrically controlled steam engine



May 28, 1935. R. .R. BLANK 4 2,002,488

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED STEAM ENGINE Filed Dec. '5, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheetl NW NJ I Piaiph R.Blank fl QMV J9, gm

(Ittorneg y R. R. BLANK ELECTRiCALLY CONTROLLED STEAM ENGINE 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Jrwentor Filed Dec. 3, 1934 w g a By Ralph R.Bltmk fivrjb (Ittorneg 'May 28, 1935.

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED STEAM ENGINE ile 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.4.

7 :z N "b -18 N lhmentor Ralh RBlank 7% Cittormg R. R. BLANK 2,002,488

Patented May 28, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED STEAM ENGINERalph E. Blank, Fremont, Nebr.

' Application December 3, 1934, Serial No. 755,777

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an electrically controlled steam engine foruse in moving a load, and intended for use as a substitute for the usuallocomotive for moving a railway train, steam as a power for locomotionbeing produced by electricity derived from any source, broadly, and asillustrated herein produced by use of electric coils for a supply ofheat, and heat from internal combustion engines, the latter operating asan agent for actuating certain electric generators.

By use of the invention it is considered that railway trains may beoperated at lesser expense than ordinary since the use of coal will beavoided and less labor will be required.

The invention consists of the new and useful construction, combinationand arrangement of parts described herein and claimed, and asillustrated in the drawings, it being understood that only oneembodiment of the invention is specifically disclosed and that changesmay be made in form, size, proportions and minor details, said changesbeing within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings, Fig. l. is a diagrammatic plan View of the electricallycontrolled steam engine and parts connected therewith, and Fig. 2 is aview of the same in side elevation, a boiler and its insulating housingbeing in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is asectional view on line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view in longitudinalsection of one of the coil-tubes. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 6-5of Fig. 1, the scale being reduced.

Referring now to the drawings for a more particular description, theinvention is described in connection with casing including a two-partboiler indicated, for convenience of explanation, by the numerals l and8, the boiler-members being disposed in. spaced relation to provide anintermediate heating chamber 9 therebetween, and since a floor it domesH are provided common to these parts, no air may enter thereto from theinsulating chamber 12 which surrounds said parts, this last namedchamber having an outer wall or housing it which excludes air ormoisture therefrom to prevent absorption of heat from the steam boilers,compartments and chamber 9.

At 24 are indicated numerous vertical tubes preferably constructed ofelectrical insulating material, each containing an electricalresistantcoil l5, said tubes being closed at their lower ends and openat top as shown in Fig. 5.

Numerals l8 indicate a pair of horizontal conducting-pipes which providea communication with each other of the steam boilers l and 8, each pipel5 extending through the heating chamber 9, and at ll are indicated apair of steam superheating chambers which are disposed above the steamboilers l and 8 and with which the coiltubes l4 communicate, a pair or"vertical conduct ing pi es 18 extending through these chambers forheating purposes, and leading from the boilers l and 8 to a pair ofarcuate condensing chamhers 19 within the domes ll.

Numeral 20 indicates a steam outlet pipe hav ing branches leadingoutwardly from the domes H of the casing at.

It will be understood that the intermediate heating chamber 9 andrectangular heat-insulating chamber l2 are for use, in part, forcontaining heating-pipes adapted to heat the boilers I and 8 and othercontents of the casing 11:, and while I have shown a specific source ofheat now to be described for this purpose, I do not wish to limit myselfin this respect.

Numerals 2| indicate a pair of heating tanks for water, the intakes forwater under pressure to the tanks being indicated at 22, the dischargepipe to each boiler I and 8 from a water tank being indicated at 23.

Numerals 24 indicate a pair of internal combustion engines, each xhaustpipe 25 thereof having a coiled part at extending upwardly in a tank 2|for a connection with a heating-pipe 26 which projects from the upperpart of a tank through th wall of the housing l3, and by referring toFig. 3 of the drawings it will be seen that both pipes 28 extend betweenthe boiler-members I and 8 within the chamber 9, and extend within theheat-insulating chamber [2 spirally about the boilers, the chambers I1and compartments IS, the single discharge terminal for said heatingpipes26 being indicated at 21.

Electrical circuits operating independently relative to each other areprovided for heating purposes, each circuit consisting of conductors 28and 29 leading from an electric generator 39 actuated by the rotation ofthe internal combustion engine shaft upon which it is mounted, eachconductor 28 and 29 being in communication with the electric coils [5 inthe insulated tubes M of a boiler-member.

In operation, upon starting the internal combustion engines the water inthe boilers will quickly attain a high degree of heat, the hot steam andvapor from the engine causing the water in the tanks 2| to becomeheated, and since this water is normally under pressure it will enterthe boilers. Since the pipes 26 extend around the walls of theboiler-members the contents of said boilers will become heated forproducing steam, and the heat provided in said pipes 26 will likewiseheat the contents of the compartments I1 and chambers l9.

Simultaneously with the above operation of heating, the coil-tubes willconduct heat to the contents of the boiler-members, and while no steammay enter the compartments ll they will become intensely heated by thevertical tubes l8 and pipe-coils i4, and since this heat may be absorbedby the steam said compartments I i may be considered as superheatingmembers for steam.

While the boiler members i and 8 operate jointly in some respects onaccount of the provision of the horizontal conducting pipes IS, the factthat they are separated is an important feature since, as shown anddescribed, the space between them provides the completely enclosedchamber 9 through which the horizontal pipes l E extend and provides thechamber for receiving both of the heating pipes 26.

Any condensation of steam on the funnelshaped upper Walls of thecompartments i! may move into the boiler-members l and 8 through thepipes 53, but if such movements are prevented by upward pressure ofsteam such condensations may move downwardly through conducting pipesEl, and similar conducting pipes 32, the intakes for said last namedpipes being disposed somewhat higher in the domes than the pipes 3i,tending to permit a free movement members.

of condensed steam, if any, to move to the boiler- It will be understoodthat the steam from the two-part boiler as described, will move throughthe two tubular branches 33 to the pipe 29 which traverses theheat-insulating housing l3 to the steam cylinder 34 for reciprocatingthe piston 35 and rotating a traction wheel 36.

I claim as my invention,-

1. An electrically controlled steam engine comprising, in combinationwith a steam cylinder and piston movable therein for rotating a tractionwheel, a casing providing a pair of communicating steam boilers, a pairof steam heating compartments above said boilers, a pair of steamcondensing chambers above said compartments in communication with saidboilers and an in-' termediate heating chamber, a housing providing aheat insulating chamber surrounding said casing, means for conductingwater to said boilers, energized electrical devices in said boilers forproducing steam, heat-conducting pipes projecting into said intermediatechamber and extending spirally around said boilers for producing steam,and a steam outlet pipe in communication with said boilers and steamcylinder for moving said piston.

2. An electrically controlled steam engine comprising a casing, ahousing surrounding the casing and providing a heat insulating chmbertherebetween, a pair of communicating steam boilers in the casing, aheating chamber between the pair of steam boilers, a pair of steamheating compartments above said boilers, a pair of steam condensingchambers above said compartments in communication with said boilers andprovided with steam outlets, means for conducting water to said boilers,a plurality of tubes disposed vertically in said boilers each closed atits lower end and having an open end engaging in a heating compartmentfor producing steam, and a pair of heating-pipes extending into theheating chamber between said boilers and disposed spirally about saidboilers for producing steam.

3. An electrically controlled steam engine comprising, a housing, acasing in spaced relation within the housing to provide a heatinsulating chamber entirely surroundingsaid casing, a pair ofsteam'boilers within the casing providing a heating chambertherebetween, steam conduits traversing said heating chamber and openingon said steam boilers, a pair of condensing chambers in the casing incommunication with said boilers, a pair of heating compartments betweenthe condensing chambers and said boilers, steam conduits traversing saidheating compartments and opening on the condensing chambers and saidboilers, means for conducting water to said boilers, heating-pipesprojecting into said heating chamber and extending spirally about saidchambers, said heating compartments and said boilers for producingsteam, and electrical devices in said boilers adapted to be actuated forproducing steam.

RALPH R. BLANK.

